Umbra
by Miki Bidan
Summary: Mother, no! I'm sorry! Please mother!, Roy cried out in pain. But she didnt pay any heed. She kept one lashing him as fast as she could. One shot. R and R.


**I don't own Fullmetal Alchemist, I wish I did. :(**

* * *

"ROY MUSTANG! Come back here!"

A shrill scream ran through the house. Roy shivered. He looked around urgently to look for a place to hide. The best place he could see was an old box.

He hid himself behind a small box. He closed his eyes tight, shivering just as he heard footsteps coming towards the store room. The room was dark and cold.

Roy wished that somehow _she _wouldn't find him. His breath almost stopped as soon as he heard the small click of the door knob. A cold shiver went down his spine. Harsh light entered the room making his eyes sting. He held his breath as a figure entered the room.

The figure looked around. She saw a bare knee sticking out from behind a box.

The box wasn't enough to hide him. The figure smirked. It slowly tiptoed towards the box and then caught hold of Roy's hair and pulled it. Roy screamed in pain.

"MOTHER, STOP!"

But the lady dragged him by his hair towards the living room. His face scratched against the ground as she dragged him.

She threw him to a corner. Roy sat up slowly. His face was covered with scratches. He looked up at the lady. She stood majestically. Her honeydew locks shone brightly. She was gaudily dressed in satin and gold. She looked at him. Roy flinched.

Then she turned and called out, "Esther! Bring the belt!"

Roy shivered….the belt…

An aged maid bowed to the lady and said, "But, Ma'am, little master is too young. He still doesn't know what is right and what is wrong-" "Shut up, Esther and bring me the belt. I know how to take care of my children, you need not teach me!" The lady snapped at Esther. Esther bowed and muttered a sorry and turned to bring the belt.

Esther's misty eyes filled with sadness for the young lad as she handed a vicious looking belt to her mistress. The lady smirked. "Now, Roy," she said flashing the vicious belt.

Roy recoiled to the wall. "No, mother, I'm sorry…" he whispered. The lady swung the belt into the air and then brought it down with as much force as she could. Roy screamed as the belt touch his legs. It was just like a white hot iron being pressed into his legs. The lady again took one more deep breath and lashed him.

Esther hid her face in her apron as she saw her young master being brutally beaten.

"I'm sorry, Mother, Just stop!" Roy cried out as the belt hit him. One after the other the lashes went on, never to stop…Roy screamed with each lash…up…down…right…left…

The lady still didn't seem to be contended.

"STOP, MOTHER, JUST STOP!"

Roy cried out as loudly as he could but she didn't seem to stop.

"Here you go!" The lady said as she hit him with a belt, "This is what you get for ruining my best dress with salad!"

"Mother, I'm sorry! Please stop!" Roy cried between the lashes. He was nearly hyperventilating. She didn't give him time to breath. She lashed as fast as she could. One after the other, one after the other.

"No, mother!" he choked. Then she stopped. Roy sobbed as his legs started bleeding. Red marks showed all over his legs. He was terrified.

"QUENTIN! Quentin!" The lady shouted. Her voice was so shrill that Roy felt as if someone was putting needles through his ears.

A man with dark brown hair slicked back with lots of hair gel and a toothbrush mustache came walking downstairs. He looked at poor Roy who was sobbing and bleeding profusely "What happened, dear?" he asked. He did understand what had happened but he gave the boy a look and turned to her.

"Quentin, this no-good-boy, he spoiled my dress outright!" She said pointing at Roy.

Quentin turned to Roy. He walked near the sobbing boy. "Ronald." He said. Roy looked up. He prayed at least his father would help. Quentin put his hand forward and caught his collar and picked him up.

Roy struggled to breathe. "Father, please, I can't breathe!" Roy said choking. Quentin took no notice of what he said. He walked towards the staircase. Roy struggled to break free from him but the older man was too strong.

"Father, please!" Roy cried out.

Esther followed her master. "Master, please." She said. "Shut up, Esther. You're just a maid here and nothing else." Quentin said in a stern voice.

Esther looked at tear eyed Roy. "Master, no…" she whispered. Roy looked at Esther. "ESTHER! Please help! Esther!" He screamed as he saw Esther. Esther couldn't do anything.

Quentin carried Roy to door. Roy's eyes widened. "Esther, bring the keys!" He ordered Esther. Esther took out the keys and handed it to her master with shivering hands. Quentin opened the door and smirked.

"This is what you get for a punishment, Ronald." He said. He threw Roy on the ground. Roy cried out as he fell on the ground and worse his bleeding knee hit against the rough flooring. He looked back to see Quentin smirking him.

"Ronald, you will stay here for the rest of the evening and you will not come out until tomorrow afternoon. Which means you'll miss tea and supper." Quentin said with an evil smile and closed the door.

The ocher light from outside was cut off when he closed the door. The room was dark. There was only a small window about 2 feet long touching the ceiling. The faint light of the moon in the clouds was the only source of light.

He sat in one corner with his hands around his knees. Tears rolled down his cheek. His foster parents never treated him in a nice way. They always shouted at him, beat him up and locked him up in this dreadful place. He was scared of the dark and they knew it but he also discovered that every time he used to come out of the room he used to feel less afraid of the dark. Perhaps what Esther once said to him was true.

_The only was to overcome your fear is to face it._

His foster mother's voice still rang in his ears.

"_This is what you get for a punishment, Ronald." "You no good child, I sometimes wonder who gave birth to such a child. Your mother must have been a mad."_

He used to hate it when she insulted his mother. When he was three years old he was told that his mom died right after she had given birth to him. He had never seen her woman with shining raven often used to come in his dreams. When he used to be scared the thought of her made him feel really safe. Like now, he felt warmer. She had kind ebony eyes with so much cheerfulness in them.

He was told that his mother had named him Roy before her death but his foster parents changed his name to Ronald.

He hated it. Then a certain lady entered his mind.

Esther.

Esther was the only person he had to talk to him. She was so kind and nice. Much, much nicer than his foster parents. He hated them. Esther used to steal the leftovers of the meals for him when he used to be locked up like now. She used to often come at night to read bed time stories when his parents were asleep. She used to comfort when he was sad but his parents didn't like that attitude of hers. They thought it was unnecessary to treat him properly.

When any outsider used to visit them, he was supposed to behave properly and not speak a word of torture. He once broke down in front of a guest and when the guest left then his parents beat him up and the whole night he had to sleep outside in the garden.

His strings of thoughts were cut off by the door opening. He looked up to see Esther's kind face. She had a candle and a plate in her hand. The candle illuminated the room.

"Young master, I've brought some supper." She said. Roy's face lit up.

"Thank you, Esther!"

Roy gulped down the food hurriedly. "Esther, thanks a lot!" he said. Esther smiled.

"Young master," she said.

"Roy!"

"Fine, Roy, tell me, don't you think that master and mistress are ill-treating you?" Esther asked.

"Esther, what should I do? I can't stay here for ever! It's horrid! This place is like a prison. I sometimes wish that I might die!" Roy said, tears forming his eyes. Esther exclaimed, "No, young master, don't think of things like that! Please, you're so young."

"Then you tell me what should I do?"

Esther looked around and she suddenly gave exclaimed.

"Young Master! Your leg is bleeding!"

Roy looked at his blood soaked leg. He was terrified at the sight of blood. Hoe come he didn't notice it? Esther got up and said, "Wait here, Young Master! I'm coming!" Esther ran out of the room.

She returned back with a small box. She took out a cloth and cleaned the wound and bandaged it.

"Young Master…" Esther said.

Roy looked up.

"I can't see you suffer like this. And…and I think you better," Esther said, "Better run away."

Roy looked up in surprise. "What?"

"You should run away from here."

"But…but…how?"

"You have to get away from here. I'll help you."

"How?"

"I'll quietly go into your room and pack your bag. Then you can run away."

Roy's eyes widened. "But then…then…Esther, you would be the one who Mother and Father would first blame! They'll remove from the job then what would happen to you, Esther?"

Esther smiled. "No, Young master, you can't stay in this horrid place just for me. You're young, I'm old. I'll die soon but you have a long life to live on. You must run away, Young Master! You must!"

"But…but-"

Esther got up and walked out towards his room. Roy looked at his hands. He wasn't sure of he could run away.

Where would he go?

What would he do?

But it was better than living in this hell- hole. After about half an hour Esther opened the door. She carried a backpack. "Here, young master!" she said cheerfully.

Roy took the backpack. He got up gingerly. His legs hurt but he had to get away from here. Esther guided him through the house towards the main door. She opened the door. "Esther…" he whispered. Esther took him in her arms and kissed his forehead.

"Bye." She whispered as tears formed in her eyes. Roy started crying. She hugged him. "Don't cry, Young Master."

"Roy!"

"Roy…"

She put him down and looked at him. "Bye, Son, take care!"

"You take care too, Esther. I promise I'll visit you sometimes!"

"Oh Young Master, The next time you come to visit me, I know it will be in a graveyard."

Roy shook his head. "No, Esther! Don't say things like that. I'll meet you here the next time!"

"Promise me, Esther!"

Esther's eyes filled with tears. "Promise."

"Pinky promise?"

"Pinky promise!"

Esther hooked her pinky in Roy's.

She then gave him a gentle push.

"Go, young master, go away!"

Roy ran towards the street. He looked back to see Esther waving. He smiled and waved back. His gaze wandered to the window. His eyes widened in horror.

It was his father! He saw everything! "Esther!" He called out. Esther waved at him. "Esther, father-" he shout was cut off as his father quickly dragged surprised Esther. "Hey, you guys! Get that boy!" he shouted. He saw his father's body guards running towards him. They were huge strong men.

Roy turned and began running but his legs hurt. He wanted to stop but no…he had to go on! He just had to…

He ran towards the bushes. But luck didn't favor him as behind the bushes was a steep slope. He rolled down the slope. He collided against the rocks and the trees which were on the slope. He crashed into a tree. He felt dizzy. Then, he blacked out.

* * *

"Colonel Mustang?"

Roy was snapped out of his thoughts. He looked back to face Lieutenant Hawkeye.

"Colonel Mustang, shall we leave?"

Roy turned back to the grave and placed the flowers on it.

Esther Smith

1909- 1981

R.I.P

"You promised me, Esther." he whispered, "You're so unfair! Look at me, Esther. I'm not the same Roy, I'm Colonel Mustang but I want to become the Fuhrer and with your blessing I'll always succeed. You must be probably looking over me now. Well, I've to go now, Esther. Good bye, Esther and thank you for all that you've done for me."

Roy got up and looked up at the sky. It was clear. He felt really glad that Esther was still watching over him.

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**Whew! That was over at last. Well, I shouldn't be writing during exam time but I couldn't help it. I hope you enjoyed cuz I did. I fee like killing Roy's foster parents! **

**Anyways, do review. CC accepted I hate insults so please don't flame. **

**Ja Ne,**

**Miki**


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